Container carrier

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to improvements in manually transportable carriers for accommodating a plurality of containers, as for example, bottles and the like, and more particularly, to container carriers of the reuseable type comprised of a single folded sheet of material. The end walls of the carrier comprise integral brace members connected between the bottom wall and the side walls of the carrier. These brace members are further slidably interlocked in slots in the center wall of the carrier.

United States Patent 1191 Klygis et a1.

1 1 CONTAINER CARRIER [75] Inventors: Mindaugas Julius Klygis, EvergreenPark; Michael Warren Brezette, Schaumburg, both of 111.

[73] Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc., Chicago,

22 Filed: Sept. 18,1972

[21 Appl. No.: 289,909

521 u.s.c1 206/163,'206/170, 206/183, 229/52 BC 51 1111. C1. ..B65d75/04 [58] Field of Search.... 229/28 BC, 52 BC; 220/105,220/109,110,ll1,ll2, 113,114,115

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,335,022 11/1943 OReilly229/52 BC X 1 June 11, 1974 2,390,020 ll/1945' Wesselman 229/28 BC X2.527.025 10/1950 3,111,223 11/1963 3,359,873 12/1967 Carle ct a1.220/102 X Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant ExaminerStephen P.Garbe 5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention relates generally toimprovements in manually transportable carriers for accommodating aplurality of containers, as for example, bottles and the like, and moreparticularly, to container carriers of the reuseable type comprised of asingle folded sheet of material. The end walls of the carrier compriseintegral brace members connected between the bottom wall and the sidewalls of the carrier. These brace members are further slidablyinterlocked in slots in the center wall of the carrier.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures $815732 sum 10E 2 PAIENTEDJuu 1 1 m4 F/G. il

PATENIEBJUIII 1 m4 SHEH 2 01 Z CONTAINER CARRIER SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The present invention is concerned primarily with improvementsin container carriers of the manually transportable type adapted tosupport a plurality of containers such as bottles and the like in twoadjacent rows. The present invention is an improvement over theinvention disclosed and claimed in the co-pending application of M. .l.Klygis et al., for Container Carrier, US. Pat. Ser. No. 219,328, filedJan. 20, I972. The noted Klygis et al. application discloses amulti-pack container of novel, collapsible and expandable form whichgreatly facilitates the ease with which containers may be insertedwithin the expanded carrier and subsequently removed therefrom so as topermit subsequent collapsing of the carrier to a relatively small, flatmultiply structure. The noted Klygis et al. application furtherdiscloses a novel arrangement for economically producing the carrier,and, to the end, contemplates that a minimum quantity of suitable sheetplastic material may be employed without impairing efficiency in theretention of the containers supported thereby. The preferred materialfor the subject application is a plastic material which may be easilyheat sealed.

The present invention is an improvement over the carrier of the notedKlygis et al. application in the arrangement of the end braces whichretain and prevent the bottles from accidentally falling from the endsof the carrier. In the subject invention each of the ends braces areformed from two strips which are slit from stock with the ends remainingattached and with portions sealed together within slots formed in thecenter wall of the carrier. The arrangement of the present inventionpermits the carrier to be stamped or otherwise cut from a sheet of thepreferred plastic material. The cut sheet is then folded into amulti-layered flat assembly. In that folded condition the variousnecessary areas where adjacent layers of the sheet must beinterconnected are exposed and the completed carrier is then easilyformed in a heat sealing press by merely closing the press on the foldedflat assembly to heat seal various certain areas. After heat sealing thecarrier may be unfolded into a container receiving configuration bydrawing the handle structure outwardly of the remainder of the carrier.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improvedend brace assembly in a carrier of the type disclosed in the co-pendingU.S. Pat. application to M. J. Klygis et al., Ser. No. 219,328, filedJan. 20, 1972.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects andadvantages of the present invention will be more apparent from thefollowing detailed description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the carrier with a plurality ofbottles therein;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the package shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of the carrier of FIGS. 1 and 2 with thebottles removed and with the carrier in a folded flat condition;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the structure shown in FIG.

3; and,

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the carrier in an unfoldedcondition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to thedrawings more in detail. wherein like numerals have been employed todesignate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seenthat the preferred embodiment of a container carrying device of the typecontemplated by the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5inclusive. is designated generally by the numeral 14. A detaileddescription of the method for forming the carrier from the sheetmaterial need not be discussed in detail herein. reference being made tothe noted co-pending Klygis et al. application.

The carrier 14 shown in the drawings is symmetrical about the line 15shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. However. it is contemplated that the portionof the carrier which forms the center wall and handle assembly need notbe made up of two identical sections but may comprise a single centerwall section joined to the center bottom wall of the carrier. As shownin FIGS. 3 and 4, the carrier 14 in its folded condition comprises twooutwardly disposed panels 16. Each panel 16 comprises a side wall andone half of the bottom wall of the carrier. The upper side edges of thepanels 16 are integrally joined at the line 15 with the central areabeing open to present a window or slot to permit the handle assembly toproject therethrough. The lower edges of each of the panels 16 areintegrally connected to the lower marginal edge of one of a pair ofpanels 17. The panels 17 form the center wall and handle assembly forthe carrier. As mentioned above, one panel 17 may terminate a shortdistance above the lower marginal edge thereof.

Each panel 16 comprises an upper section 16a and a lower section 16b.The portions 16a and 16b are contiguous on a fold line 18. Each section16b forms onehalf of the bottom wall of the carrier, and each section16a forms one side wall of the carrier 14. The embodiment of theinvention shown in the drawings is intended to carry eight containerssuch as bottles 20 (or such other number as it is designed for) of FIGS.1 and 2, and for that purpose the upper portion of each of the side wallportions 16a is provided with four adjacently disposed openings orapertures 21. The apertures 21 are substantially egg shaped tocircumferentially engage the bottles 20 when the carrier is in an openor unfolded position such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Brace members 22 are cut or slit from the side marginal edge portions ofthe side and bottom wall sections 16a and 16b. The upper end of eachbrace member 22 is integrally connected to a side wall section 16a. Thelower end of each brace member 22 is integrally connected to a bottomwall section 16b. The brace members 22 are further out from the sheetmaterial of the carrier so that the portions of the brace members 22intermediate the ends thereof curve inwardly of the side wall sections16a to form inwardly projecting corners 22b. The invention contemplatesan alternative embodimend wherein the upper end of each brace member 22is out free from the side wall sections and terminate immediately abovethe inwardly curved corners 22b.

The panels 17 which form the center wall of the carrier 14 may beconveniently provided with apertures 23 to reduce the weight of thecarrier. The panels 17 are further provided with apertures 24 adjacentthe side marginal edges of the panels 17. The apertures 24 have a lengthsufficient to include or encircle corners 22b of the brace members 22 inboth the folded condition of the carrier 14 as shown in FIG. 3 and inthe open condi tion of the carrier as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.

The upper portions of the panels 17 are preferably reduced in width toform upwardly extending handle sections 25. The handle sections 25 ineach panel 17 are provided with apertures 26 which when superimposedform a convenient and comfortable opening for receiving a persons hand.Tab 27 may be provided by material from within one or both of theapertures 26, beingjoined to the handle section 25 along fold line 28.The tab or tabs 27 are provided for distributing the weight of thecarrier and the bottles carried therein over a relatively wide portionof a persons hand in carrying the package, as well as to retain theapertures 26 in the handle sections 25 in aligned relation.

Bottom sections 1611 are provided with spaced apart apertures 30adjacent to the line ofinterconnection between the panels 16 and 17. Theapertures 30 are provided to permit the panels 17 to be heat sealedtogether at spaced areas 31 when the carrier is in the folded flatcondition shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Obviously in the aforedescribedalternative embodiment wherein one panel 17 terminates a short distanceabove the fold line between panels 16 and 17 the short panel 17 musthave a height sufficient to include apertures 30. In addition to theheat sealing at areas 31, the handle sections 25 may be convenientlyheat sealed together at areas 32 which are exposed through the apertures21, and the corners 22b of the brace members 22 are heat sealed togetherat areas 33. The heat sealing of the brace members 22 at areas 33 formsintegral joints between adjacent brace members 22 within the apertures24.

When the heat sealed center wall of the carrier formed by the panels 17is projected upwardly relative to the panels 16 so that the handlesection 25 is moved above the fold line 15, with a contemporaneousfolding of the panels 16 along fold lines 18, the carrier will bearranged into the open bottle-receiving configuration shown in FIGS. 1,2 and 5..As the folded flat carrier is manipulated to the openconfiguration, the integral connections are comers 22b of brace members22 will move downwardly in the apertures 24 to the position shown inFIG. 5. As may be seen in FIG. 5, the brace members 22 in the openconfiguration or condition of the carrier 14 define a substantiallyX-shaped brace assembly across the open ends of the carrier 14 with thecenter of the brace assembly 22 effectively locked to the center wall ofthe carrier. This arrangement positively and securely holds the endbottles when positioned in the carrier 14 against any slipping orshifting out therefrom even under extreme jostling or swinging of thecarrier and bottle package during transport by a person holding thepackage at the handle section 25. In

the aforedescribed alternative embodiment wherein the brace members 22terminate immediately above the comers 22b, the configuration of thebrace assembly in the open condition of the carrier will be a downwardlyopen V-shape.

The insertion and removal of bottles 20 from the carrier may be easilyseen from the drawings.

I claim: 1

l. A container carrier formed from a folded sheet of material andfoldable alternatively into a substantially flat storage condition andan open container receiving condition, said carrier comprising a pair ofside walls joined at the upper side edges thereof, a plurality ofcontainer receiving apertures formed in each side wall and arranged in arow between the ends of said side walls, a bottom wall divided into twoseparate sections and foldable along the line of division with each ofsaid sections further foldably joined to the lower edge of one of saidside walls, a center wall foldably joined to both of the bottom wallsections along said line of division, said center wall extending betweensaid side walls and through the upper side edges thereof to terminate ina handle, whereby said separate sections of said bottom wall and saidside walls are folded against the opposite sides of said center wall insaid flat storage condition of said carrier, an end brace assembly foreach end of said carrier, each end brace assembly comprising a pair ofbrace members, each of said brace members joined at one end thereof tothe end marginal edge of one of said side walls, each of said bracemembers joined at the other end thereof to the end marginal edge of oneof said bottom wall sections, said brace members having lengthspermitting substantially flat engagement of said brace members onopposite sides of said center wall in said flat storage condition ofsaid carrier, said center wall have elongated apertures at each endthereof, means joining each pair of said pairs of brace members togetherintermediate the ends thereof and within one of said apertures, and thelongitudinal axes of said elongated apertures aligned vertically of saidcenter wall to permit said means joining each pair of said pairs ofbrace members together to vertically move within said aperturescontemporaneously with any folding of said carrier between said flatstorage condition and said open container receiving condition.

2. A container carrier as defined in claim 1, wherein the material ofsaid carrier is a heat sealable plastic material and wherein said meansjoining said brace members together comprises a heat sealing of saidbrace members to form the junctions.

3. A container carrier as defined in claim 2 wherein said junctions ofsaid brace members are exposed in directions perpendicular to the planeof said carrier when the side walls and bottom wall section are foldedagainst said center wall in said flat storage condition.

1. A container carrier formed from a folded sheet of material andfoldable alternatively into a substantially flat storage condition andan open container receiving condition, said carrier comprising a pair ofside walls joined at the upper side edges thereof, a plurality ofcontainer receiving apertures formed in each side wall and arranged in arow between the ends of said side walls, a bottom wall divided into twoseparate sections and foldable along the line of division with each ofsaid sections further foldably joined to the lower edge of one of saidside walls, a center wall foldably joined to both of the bottom wallsections along said line of division, said center wall extending beTweensaid side walls and through the upper side edges thereof to terminate ina handle, whereby said separate sections of said bottom wall and saidside walls are folded against the opposite sides of said center wall insaid flat storage condition of said carrier, an end brace assembly foreach end of said carrier, each end brace assembly comprising a pair ofbrace members, each of said brace members joined at one end thereof tothe end marginal edge of one of said side walls, each of said bracemembers joined at the other end thereof to the end marginal edge of oneof said bottom wall sections, said brace members having lengthspermitting substantially flat engagement of said brace members onopposite sides of said center wall in said flat storage condition ofsaid carrier, said center wall have elongated apertures at each endthereof, means joining each pair of said pairs of brace members togetherintermediate the ends thereof and within one of said apertures, and thelongitudinal axes of said elongated apertures aligned vertically of saidcenter wall to permit said means joining each pair of said pairs ofbrace members together to vertically move within said aperturescontemporaneously with any folding of said carrier between said flatstorage condition and said open container receiving condition.
 2. Acontainer carrier as defined in claim 1, wherein the material of saidcarrier is a heat sealable plastic material and wherein said meansjoining said brace members together comprises a heat sealing of saidbrace members to form the junctions.
 3. A container carrier as definedin claim 2 wherein said junctions of said brace members are exposed indirections perpendicular to the plane of said carrier when the sidewalls and bottom wall section are folded against said center wall insaid flat storage condition.